MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER, BRIDGEPORT, Calif. -- To most, the devastating images from television news reports of Hurricane Katrina that ravaged New Orleans and outlying areas with category five force, are just that — images.For one Marine, Sgt. William Domangue, a substance abuse counseling officer and mortarman for 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Hurricane Katrina hits a little bit closer to home than that. A lot closer. In fact, the hurricane actually hit his home. “I come from a town a ways down the road from New Orleans called Houma, Louisiana,” explained Domangue. “It’s a small town where people will wave to you from their porches as you drive by, even if they don’t know you.”For Domangue, the hurricane was an especially stressful time, as almost all of his immediate family decided not to evacuate, but instead chose to ride out the brutal storm.“My wife, Georgia, who is pregnant, and my three-year-old daughter, Abigail Mae, live with me in base housing on K-Bay (Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay), so I am thankful that they were out of harm’s way, but most of the rest of my entire family — parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins, just made a decision to stick it out,” said Domangue. “I guess you might say the Domangue’s are a hardheaded lot.”Hardheaded, maybe — but also fiercely proud of their Louisiana heritage.“The Domangue’s have lived in Louisiana as far back as anyone can remember,” commented Domangue. “It didn’t surprise me that none of my family evacuated. We rolled our sleeves up and prepared, instead.”That preparation included installing generators in their homes, boarding windows, stockpiling food and water, and tying down just about everything.“Right after the hurricane passed, by some miracle, the phone lines were open in Houma, briefly, and I was able to call my family,” said Domangue. “Everyone had survived. Soon after, though, all the phone lines went dead, and we weren’t able to communicate for a week. Even though I was comforted by the knowledge that everyone was okay, I still had a lot of anxiety. That was a hard time. What really helped me get through it was the support I received from all the Marines at 1/3.”That support was no accident.“From the get go, our commanding officer, (Lt. Col. James Bierman), made sure that the 1/3 Marines from that region were identified so that we could put a support network in place for them,” said 1st Lt. Matthew Kralovec, 1/3 adjutant and a native of Fairfax, Va. “Everyone has heard the phrase, ‘Marines take care of their own.’ But I’m here to tell you — it is more than just a saying. It is a reality.”According to Lance Cpl. Theodore Gina, a 1/3 legal clerk from Union, N.J., letting the Marines know that some of their own were from the area affected by Hurricane Katrina showed extreme foresight by the command. “I knew Sergeant Domangue was from the south, everybody did just by sound of his thick southern drawl,” said Gina. “I would describe Sergeant Domangue as ‘a Marines’ Marine.’ What I mean by that is that he doesn’t let anything get in the way of him leading his Marines. He is one tough Marine, and if he’s given a mission, you better believe it is going to be accomplished.“He’s not the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve, so by the command making the Marines aware of the situation, it gave us a chance, as his Marines, to reach out to him.”According to Domangue, that type of support is the reason he has stayed in the Marine Corps for more than 11 years, and why, despite all the hardships and family separations, including two tours to Iraq and an impending deployment to Afghanistan, he will tell you that he wouldn’t want any other life.“The way the Marines in 1/3 rallied behind me and my family, from officers to enlisted, meant a lot to me,” said Domangue. “I can’t describe what a good feeling it is to have the support not only of your peers but also of your command and the Marines who work under you.”According to Kralovec, if there ever was a Marine who had earned the respect of his regiment, it is Domangue.“Sergeant Domangue holds a staff NCO billet for a reason,” said Kralovec. “His experience level, with two combat tours in Iraq, and his level of maturity is such that we as officers consider him a ‘go to sergeant.’ As we conduct mountain-warfare training here in Bridgeport in preparation for our upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, it is no surprise to me that he has been named as a platoon sergeant. Simply put, he is a leader of Marines in the truest sense.”Indeed, Domangue’s reputation as a leader extends to all ranks.“Sergeant Domangue is a great leader and is a go to guy for advice,” said Lance Cpl. Nicholas Silvestri, a 1/3 administrative clerk and native of Freeport, N.J., with one combat tour in Iraq under his belt.“He’s always helping out the younger Marines and guiding them by his example. Myself, and all his junior Marines really look up to him. Our hearts go out to Sergeant Domangue, his family back in Louisiana, and all the people whose lives have been turned upside down by Hurricane Katrina.”